MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

Marshall wins fifth spot

It’s official. Sean Marshall has won the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation. Lou Piniella announced it after Thursday’s game, a 9-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Piniella wanted to wait until he had a chance to talk to Aaron Heilman, who started Thursday’s game. Heilman will now be slotted into the bullpen.

One kid who continues to impress is Rule 5 pick David Patton, who escaped a jam in the sixth inning Thursday. He had runners at first and third and one out, and induced a double play. Piniella said Patton is still in the picture for a bullpen spot.

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